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Maestro `eraseText` fails on real Android devices: `test` and `replay` cannot opt in to the test IME

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Assessment

Difficulty
3/5
Estimated time
1-2 days
Newbie friendliness
74/100
Issue type
Feature
Clarity
Clearly specified
Activity status
Active
Tech stack
android, typescript
Domain
cli, mobile, testing

Research direction

Start with packages/maestro/src/daemon-port/daemon-runtime-port.ts and src/daemon/session-lifecycle/internal/session-open-execution.ts, then trace the test and replay command entry points. Check how open --test-ime activates the helper and how shouldActivateAndroidTestIme handles real devices. Done means test and replay offer an opt-in, eraseText passes on real devices, and the device keyboard is restored while the default remains off.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Description

ready-for-agent

Summary

On a real Android device, a Maestro flow with eraseText fails under agent-device test --maestro:

Replay failed at step 27 (eraseText): Android text input requires provider-native text injection or the bundled test IME helper for non-ASCII/control characters; the adb-shell fallback supports ASCII text only. On emulators the test IME activates automatically; on real devices pass `open --test-ime` to enable it

The same flow passes on an emulator. ASCII inputText works on the device.

Cause

eraseText types backspace characters:

https://github.com/callstack/agent-device/blob/16e07572ab28227563fd76ab062cb375c4b7e1db/packages/maestro/src/daemon-port/daemon-runtime-port.ts#L262-L265

Backspace is a control character, so it needs the test IME. On real devices the test IME is opt-in through open --test-ime:

https://github.com/callstack/agent-device/blob/16e07572ab28227563fd76ab062cb375c4b7e1db/src/daemon/session-lifecycle/internal/session-open-execution.ts#L128-L134

test and replay have no such flag, so a flow run on a real device never gets the test IME.

What I tried

  • open --test-ime --session <name>, then test --session <name>: fails at launchApp with android device <serial> is owned by session "<name>"
  • same with replay --maestro --session <name>: same error
  • {"testIme": true} in a config file passed through AGENT_DEVICE_CONFIG: test still fails with the error above
  • adb shell ime set to the helper before test: still fails with the error above

Check with the test IME on

Local patch: shouldActivateAndroidTestIme returns true for real devices. With it, a flow with eraseText passes on the device, and the device keyboard is restored after the run.

Request

An opt-in for flow runs. The real-device default stays off, as decided in #1198. For example:

  • --test-ime on test and replay
  • or testIme from agent-device.json for flow runs

Environment

  • agent-device 0.21.14. Same gating in 0.21.15 and on main at 16e0757
  • Pixel 8, Android 17, USB
  • macOS host
Dominant language
TypeScript
Stars
4.8k
Forks
315
Avg merge
11h 27m
Merged PRs (30d)
556

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